


Will You Marry?

by BuddyTheMeanPeacock



Series: Drabbles and Oneshots (DimiClaude) [12]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Racism, Self-Loathing, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22801804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock
Summary: Byleth decides it's best to tell Dimitri a discovery he's unwittingly found about Claude
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan
Series: Drabbles and Oneshots (DimiClaude) [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561504
Comments: 2
Kudos: 140





	Will You Marry?

Byleth couldn't say he was scared by much of anything, even after he started to truly feel emotions. He's always handled most situations fairly well; there was never much to be afraid of.

He was scared now. Very much so, in fact.

He sought the hand grip in his pocket, a strange device designed by Hanneman to need an absurd amount of strength to squeeze. He felt he was going to need it once he told Dimitri what Claude had just told him.

Even he, stunted in social connections as he was, could see something brewing between the prince and tactician. Trust had grown between all three of them, Claude even revealing his half-raced origins, but something different was developing between those two in particular. Byleth along with many in the army hoped it would go well, but it couldn't if what he knew Claude felt was allowed to fester. After much internal debate he decided it would be best to tell Dimitri.

He walked, eventually finding Dimitri at his usual spot in the cathedral; even this late at night he seemed to gravitate towards the area. The man has come a long way from when he first saw him in the Goddess Tower some months back, far more attentive to his surroundings and making an active effort to contribute to the army. Much of that was thanks to Claude's own efforts, and it was such that planted the roots of their obvious feelings for one another. Byleth swallowed before letting his footfalls land louder on the marble flooring, the sound echoing and catching the attention of the caped man.

"Ah, Professor!" Dimitri had a slight smile on his face as he greeted him. "It is quite late. Do you have need of something?"

Byleth nodded and motioned for Dimitri to follow him. They walked in silence to his room until they finally reached the door. Dimitri turned to him then, eyebrows creased. "Will you tell me what is the matter? That we must speak within the confines of your room..."

Byleth avoided his gaze, which he knew would only worry Dimitri more, but even he couldn't take the look in his eye. "No one is dying," he answers lamely, opening the door and stepping inside. As Dimitri walked in behind him he realized he made no plans for this; no tea or snacks were on the table reserved for such items. Damn. Chamomile could have at least possibly calmed Dimitri down some.

They take a seat at the table. Dimitri's eye only deepens its worried look. Byleth didn't want to do this, but he knew he should. "Then what is-"

"It's Claude," Byleth forces out. That stops Dimitri, shutting his mouth and filling his gaze with a sort of protectiveness Byleth would normally admire, if he didn't know he was going to upset him soon.

"What's wrong?" Dimitri asks. He looked ready to leap out of the chair that instant.

Byleth sighed. He took the hand grip out of his pocket and placed it on the table, much to Dimitri's confusion, and answered, "As you know, it's Claude's birthday." He felt bad for the joy that raced through the man's eye at the reminder. "Before he retired for the night he had wanted to share some drinks with me."

"Had he?" 

Byleth took note of the jealousy tinting Dimitri's words. "Nothing happened between us, I assure you. It's just... in his stupor, he said something to me that I find worrying. I thought you should hear this."

Dimitri leaned forward, urging him to continue. Byleth took another breath. "I had asked him about any plans he had for marriage after the war... he told me he wasn't worried about it."

He closed his eyes. "'No one is going to want to marry a mutt.'"

A morbid joke, Claude drunkenly laughed it off. Byleth had a feeling it went deeper than that; he hadn't missed the forlorn look the man's glazed eyes took after saying it.

Byleth opened his eyes and saw Dimitri sit wide-eyed, a storm of anger and shock raging across his expression. He said nothing, his gaze slowly lowering to the grip on the table, grabbing it and squeezing the two ends close with a firm grasp. It had taken both Byleth and Hanneman combined to do the same by themselves. Dimitri breathed deeply in and out, trying his best to control his frustration. 

Silence hung in the air as he relaxed and tightened his hold on the grip, until his grasp proved too much and it broke into pieces in his hand.

Dimitri slammed his hand against the table, shattering it. Byleth barely contained the jump of surprise as Dimitri shot up from his chair, knocking it harshly to the ground. " _ Dammit! _ " He paced the room, teeth gritted and eye glaring. "Is that how he- and he was just-  _ dammit! _ "

Byleth got up and walked to Dimitri, putting a hand on his shoulder. He spun and faced him at the contact. "He's probably felt this way for a long time," Byleth gently explained. "I'll help you if you want to talk to him about it but you have to be calm. He'll shut you out if you come to him like this."

Dimitri grunted and snapped his head away, but his tense shoulders eventually slouched in defeat. He took a moment to breathe deep, calming breaths. "...I understand," he relents finally. "I will… wait. For your assistance. I will not let this stand, but… experience has taught me I will no doubt need the help."

Byleth remembers Dedue then, and the man's more blatant self-loathing and attempts at isolation. He nods. "Just be patient. I'm not going to let this go by unattended either."

Dimitri slowly nods back. He leaves Byleth's room with dragging feet nonetheless.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm off the opinion Claude keeps mum about his issues fairly well. I'm also of the opinion he'd have a harder time with that drunk and on a topic he feels conflicted about while talking to a friend (as would anyone). 
> 
> Dimitri is mostly angry for Claude but there is certainly still hurt in the anger too. 
> 
> Byleth is just caught in an uncomfortable place
> 
> Sorry for the sadder piece lol it's been in my drafts for a while


End file.
